Crest's Journey
by Jester ClownGirl
Summary: Crest ran away from home to protect something precious. With people out looking for her to get it back, she's willing to take any opportunity that comes her way to protect it. Team Rocket isn't exactly the best choice, but it's the only choice. Add to the mix a drifting artist with a sharp tongue and a quick temper, who listens to no one but herself. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

It was cold and rainy. The concrete was dark with rain, the gutters overflowing. Rain thundered against windows and walls, drumming out a loud, constant beat against the wood, brick, and glass. There weren't many people out - it wasn't the weather for idly strolling in the streets - but those that were out were bundled up in thick coats, and covered by huge umbrellas.

Crest watched them hurry by as she wandered down the street, ignoring the way the rain soaked into her clothes. She didn't understand the rush the adults were in - but she didn't have a set destination in mind, whereas they apparently did.

At her feet, a pair of Eevees darted around and between her legs, cheerfully chasing each other. Like her, they didn't seem to care that they were wet. They were having fun, that was all that mattered.

Every now and then, as she wandered along the street, she came across a puddle. While the pair of Eevees just darted right on through, Crest made a point of jumping in each one she came across - much to the annoyance of any adult passing by, who glared at her if she managed to hit them with the splash. She merely smiled back, and continued cheerfully on, ignoring the grumbles about wet socks and trousers.

"Alba, Umbra, don't get too far ahead." The pair of Eevees chirped in response to her voice, and paused a few steps away to watch as she wandered closer. As soon as she was by their sides, they were off again, moving around her legs in ways that wouldn't cause her to trip.

Crest only paid them half a mind - though she lacked the pokeballs she needed to capture the two, there was no doubt in her mind that they were anything but _her_ pokemon. They had the sense to stay where she could see them, stay where no wandering trainers or overly proud parents - the ones who thought their demanding children were perfect little angels, and thus deserved everything they wanted, regardless of whether what they wanted already belonged to someone or not - could make an attempt to capture them and take them away from her.

Instead, her focus was on the grey sky above, on the falling rain. There were plenty of quiet places in Goldenrod that one could go to, to get out of the rain, but Crest wasn't sure which one would be the safest for her and her Pokemon. There had been an increase of wild and abandoned pokemon lurking the alleys, and for a runaway like herself, with only two young Eevees to protect her, it meant that there was a decrease in places that were safe.

She contemplated the Pokemon centre - Alba and Umbra needed a checkup, after all, and they had free rooms for trainers to stay in - but she quickly shook the idea away. She reached a hand around to her back, grabbing the bottom of the backpack on her back, just to make sure it was still there, and that the previous cargo inside was still safely with her.

There were people out there looking for her. People who were looking for what she had stolen. She couldn't afford to let them find her. Alba and Umbra would be alright for a little longer; she had food for them, they weren't battling, and even though she lacked Pokeballs for them, they were sleeping safely, either hidden in her bag with her precious cargo, or huddled in the front of her jacket.

Releasing the bottom of her bag, Crest tugged at the straps, pulling the bag firmly against her back. Inside, snugly tucked in amongst the clothing she'd hastily shoved all around it to both make it a comfortable nest and to hide it, the Pokemon shifted. Whether it was consciously or not, she wasn't sure, but she smiled slightly anyway.

She had to protect her pokemon - _all_ of her pokemon.

It proved to be harder to find a safe place to hide than she'd expected.

There were places she'd known of since she was young; the underground path, for instance. It was quiet, and out of the way. There were several small shops there, and a few pokemon collectors lurking near the entrances, hoping to catch trainers off guard to try and trick them into handing over their pokemon, but it was usually pretty safe.

Unfortunately, there was a commotion going on down there when she reached it - on that had actually caused the police to get involved. She'd backtracked immediately; she would only get in trouble if she tried to push through with the police around, and she couldn't afford to be detained by the authorities and have her parents called. The Pokemon in her backpack depended on her to stay _out_ of such things.

It also meant she couldn't get into the Department Store basement through the underground tunnel. She'd found her way into the basement once before, and knew there were several places one could hide where the employees and their pokemon wouldn't find her - at least, not for a while. At the very least, she'd have been able to hide there long enough to dry off and rest a little.

Frustrated by the turn of events, she'd headed back out into the rain. There was still the National Park - there were plenty of trees, so there was no shortage of shelter, and she'd found berries and other fruit while playing in the park in the past. It wasn't the most ideal - but trainers slept out on the road, with or without tents, all the time. She wasn't _quite_ old enough to be able to start her own journey as a pokemon trainer _yet_ \- but age had nothing to do with necessity, and she was technically _already_ on her journey.

She just wished she had the money to buy Pokeballs; she'd feel safer if she could catch her Eevees and keep them safe from the trainers who eyed them when she passed, and if she could capture a wild pokemon or two to battle with, if it came down to that.

She'd only just stepped out into the rain again, when both Alba and Umbra abruptly stopped their chasing game around her legs, and went still. It took her a moment to notice the deep purple pokemon lingering in the rain nearby, watching her, and her Eevees, intently. The Arbok's tongue flicked in and out of it's mouth periodically, and it wasn't moving - at least, not until she did. The instant she started moving, walking sideways away from it, with Alba and Umbra pressing close to her legs in terror, it slithered slowly forward. It maintained the distance it was away from her, but it seemed intent on following her.

Crest glanced around, hoping to spot an inattentive trainer hovering nearby - maybe chatting with another trainer under an awning out of the rain, or sitting at a nearby cafe - but there was no one. The area was quiet, the rain chasing anyone who might've been in the area on any other day off to somewhere more sheltered. And the commotion in the Underground Path had no doubt sent anyone who _might've_ lingered running off as well.

Biting her lip, Crest turned on her heel so her back was to the Arbok, and increased her pace. Alba and Umbra followed suit, moving to trot slightly in front of her. They were no longer interested in playing; like her, they just wanted to get away from the Arbok following close behind them.

She heard the Pokemon hiss, its scaly body sliding across the ground as it continued to follow her. She resisted the urge to turn her head, to see how close it was; she kept her eyes fixed on the street ahead instead, hoping _someone_ would show up - its trainer, a random stranger who happened to be passing by, _anyone_.

Biting her lip, Crest contemplated scooping up her Eevees and running. The Pokemon in her bag would probably not appreciate being bounced around as she ran, and she doubted Alba and Umbra would be too happy either, but with a dangerous - and _large_ \- Pokemon following them, it was either that, or risk the safety of Pokemon that weren't trained for battle, and a Pokemon she barely knew anything about.

She rounded a corner, bending to scoop up her Eevees the instant she had, but before she could touch her Pokemon, she ran _smack_ into someone. The person grunted as she headbutted their stomach, and let out an annoyed swear as she stumbled back in surprise, head jerking up to look at the person.

Her eyes were, of course, immediately drawn to something _other_ than their face.

More specifically, the giant red "R" decorating the front of their black shirt.


	2. Chapter 2

Crest wondered which she'd stand a better chance against, considering her predicament; the Arbok of unknown origin that seemed fixated on her Eevees, or the man in the Team Rocket outfit that she had accidentally headbutted in the stomach.

She probably stood a better chance with the Arbok - at least it couldn't speak. And, judging from the expression on the man's face as he glared down at her, he was getting ready to verbally rip her a new one.

There was, of course, a third option available to her - though she wasn't sure how effective it would be - which was to continue with what she'd been intending on doing before she'd run into the man. There was a chance she'd escape - she'd escaped the people who'd been hunting for her to get the Pokemon hidden in her bag, after all, and not only had there been more of them at the time, but some of them had even been on vehicles, or had been using their Pokemon to search for her - but there was also a chance that she'd be caught. The man had longer legs than her, the Arbok was bigger than her, and there wasn't as many obstacles to use to put distance between them than there had been before.

"Oi, kid," the man growled at her. His voice was deep and rough, like he'd been smoking a lot, and while it probably helped with the intimidation factor for most people, Crest just didn't feel scared. She'd faced far scarier things than a single Rocket Grunt who was growling at her. "Why don't ya watch where yer goin'?"

Crest blinked up at him, and then turned her head to check behind her. The Arbok had not yet rounded the corner, though she could hear it slithering quickly closer. Flicking a glance back to the Rocket, she quickly crouched and wrapped an arm around Alba and Umbra.

The Eevees' chirped at her curiously as she straightened, clutching their furry bodies to her chest. She ignored them, forcing a cheerful smile to her face despite her discomfort at being surrounded - she'd gone a week without being caught, she'd gone a week protecting the Pokemon _hopefully_ sleeping in her backpack. She wasn't about to get caught now - especially not by someone who had nothing to do with what was going on in her life, or by a Pokemon who could, potentially, belong to someone who was looking for her.

"Sorry, sir." She said in response, inclining her head ever so slightly. The man narrowed his eyes at her, not fooled by the polite, cheerful tone of her voice, but as he opened his mouth to speak again, she darted around him, and _ran_.

She heard the sound of boots scraping on wet concrete as she darted around the man, and she heard his fingers scrape against the wet fabric of her backpack, but she ignored it, and kept running. There was an irritated noise from the man, and a loud hiss from the Arbok.

Alba, wrapped securely in her right arm, squeaked in alarm at the sudden change, but didn't struggle. Umbra, on the other hand, protested to the sudden grab and abrupt restriction, and Crest only had a brief warning - a low growl in her left ear - before she felt teeth trying to dig into her shoulder through her jacket. She was glad it was thick; she could feel the teeth, but they weren't doing much - if any - damage. Certainly, it wasn't enough to cause her to worry.

She heard the Rocket shouting behind her as she skidded around another corner, onto a main road. She wasn't sure if he was following, or if the Arbok was, and she didn't care. She wasn't about to stop and look; the abrupt wriggling in her backpack warned her that the Pokemon hidden inside had woken when she'd started running, and was agitated. She'd have to open it soon, to let it out for a bit, or it might make an attempt to get out on it's own.

She couldn't afford a replacement backpack to hide it in if it managed to escape before she could let it out, but she couldn't exactly let it out with a Rocket and a suspicious Pokemon possibly following her. Especially not on a main road of a large city. That was foolish.

Her first thought was heading to the National Park, as she'd originally intended - there were plenty of sheltered places there to hide. But it was also very secluded, and she didn't want to be anywhere where she couldn't call for help. Not with the danger behind her so fresh in her mind.

She bit her lip as Umbra continued to chew at her jacket, still upset about being picked up and carried without warning. She was sure that no other new trainer's journey had started out the way hers had - with running away, with Pokemon that didn't know how to fight, with a burden they shouldn't have to bear, and the knowledge that they had to keep one eye open at night, and always watch their backs, because there was something dangerous lurking just out of sight that could strike at any moment.

Her backpack continued to wriggle in agitation, bumping into her back and making it difficult to run in a straight line, and she could only hope that the people she passed on the street - people who yelled out in outrage when she bumped them, or called out in concern when they saw her face - thought it was only moving because she was running.

The rain had lightened by the time she'd running drawn to a stop, unable to run anymore. Umbra and Alba had immediately leapt from her arms - Umbra to straighten his ruffled, wet fur, and Alba to chirp concernedly up at Crest as she dropped to her knees, panting heavily.

She hadn't actually run as far as she'd wanted; she was just outside the limits of Goldenrod city, on route 35. But the wriggling in her backpack had grown almost unbearable - she was sure there would be bruises on her back - and it didn't cease as she struggled to get the moving backpack off her shoulders and onto her lap.

"Hey, kid!" Crest jumped as the Grunt appeared, fingers on the zipper of her backpack stilling as he came tearing through the gate she had stopped near. She heard a little cry of annoyance as she wrapped her arm around the bag, trying to still the pokemon inside's movements as best she could.

Fortunately, if the Grunt noticed, he said nothing about it; his expression told her that he was more focused on her insincere apology, and her running away, than he was on a wriggling backpack and the occasional offended noise coming from inside as the Pokemon demanded freedom.

"Who in the hell do ya think ya are, runnin' into someone and then just takin' off like that, huh?!" The grunt demanded. Crest blinked up at him from where she was sitting on the ground, not completely intimidated by the way he was looming over her, trying to look tall - though he was actually quite short.

"I apologised." She said bluntly, trying to keep her voice steady as a stray limb inside the bag struck her in the stomach. The grunt snorted, looking unimpressed.

"Ya call _that_ an apology?" He snapped, crossing his arms. Crest raised an eyebrow - it didn't make him any more intimidating, it just made him look like a pouting teenager - but she didn't say anything. It wouldn't make him go away any sooner if she did, and the longer he was around, the longer her Pokemon was trapped in her bag. It was only a matter of time before it started trying to use moves while trapped, and she did not want her bag torn, or completely destroyed.

"Yes?" She feigned confusion, keeping her attention fixed on the grunt and her arms around the bag. In the corners of her eyes, though, she could see Alba and Umbra moving, slowly circling around behind the man on either side. Their eyes were fixed on him, watching for any sign that he noticed them.

Crest could only hope they didn't do anything stupid. They hadn't yet been trained for battle, but that didn't stop them from being mischievous. She'd lost count of the amount of times she'd watched her father chase them out of the kitchen, or around the garden, because of their antics.

"Shitty apology, kid." He snorted. He leaned forward slightly, casting his shadow across her, a disconcerting smirk crossing his face. Crest frowned, eyes flicking quickly to the pair of Eevees now behind him, before returning her attention to the man's face.

"What are ya doin' out here, anyway?" She narrowed her eyes at the question, arms tightening around the bag slightly. The pokemon inside squealed in outrage, wriggling and kicking, and Crest grunted in pain when a limb connected firmly with her stomach - this time, she was sure, on purpose, rather than just because it was flailing.

Unfortunately, the squeal drew the Grunt's attention. His eyes strayed down from her face to her bag, and his smirk dropped to a frown. She flicked another glance at Alba and Umbra, suddenly finding herself _hoping_ they were about to do something stupid - she didn't care what, so long as it distracted the man from her offended backpack.

"What ya got in there, kid?" She jerked away and twisted sideways when the grunt reached out towards her backpack, hunching over the handle on top so it was trapped under her chin.

"None of your business." She snapped, glaring up at him. His frown deepened, and he moved sideways, trying to circle around so he was still in front of her. Behind him, Alba and Umbra moved as well, staying behind him where he couldn't see them.

"Ya got a rare Pokemon in there or somethin'?" He continued to press, once again reaching out to grab at the bag. Crest bared her teeth, prepared to bite if he got close enough, but she was beaten to the punch by Alba and Umbra, who both abruptly darted forward. She saw Alba duck, and Umbra use her like a launch pad to go flying into the air.

The resulting screech of pain from the Rocket Grunt made Crest's ears ring, not that she could blame him. She'd had the pair of Eevees long enough to know that their teeth were sharp - not that she'd _ever_ experienced their teeth in her backside, or her thigh. Usually, she got nipped on the hand.

She didn't feel any sympathy for the Grunt, regardless. He deserved the pain, and the resulting torn clothing.

She waited until the pair had released the man - Umbra dropping to the ground with a piece of fabric in his mouth, which he smugly trotted away with - before she got to her feet, still clutching her wriggling bag, and quickly walked away from the Rocket, who was swearing up a storm, complete with threats directed at her.

For a moment, as she walked away, glancing over her shoulder to make sure both Eevees were following her, she thought the Grunt was going to follow her as well, but he only shot her the most horrible glare, before stomping back through the Route Gate to Goldenrod City.

Crest resisted the urge to laugh at the sight of the huge rip in the back of his trousers.


End file.
